It is such a big relief to have finished my exams…although I really am not looking forward to the result but it is really good to be able to laze around, as well as getting up late without feeling guilty…

Anyway…a lot of the people who become my friend via prince of tennis online seem to be major Rikkai fans, so I would really appreciate it if you guys leave me your opinions about what I will be talking about.

First of all, I want to make my stand quite clear, although most people would probably know it since I have said this more then once. I am a major Shiraishi and Shitenhouji fan. The first prince of tennis stuff I have seen are probably the yakiniku competition and the joking tennis’s match, then Shiraishi’s match, and then I read the whole thing. I initially didn’t like Rikkai much but now I like them a bit more. I have read almost all of the manga but I think there are some bits in the finals that I have missed...

Basically I charged through the manga, and to be honest I was at the stage of just wanting to find out the end of every match and see Shitenhouji coming out. By that time we only had up to volume 37 so I read the rest on line, then I kind of got spaced out at the singles 3 of the nationals, but then due to suddenly reading the bit where Sanada threw away his head on challenge, I was really touched so I started to read it again. But I then sort of stopped in doubles 2, I think I resumed reading when I saw how hard Kaidou was fighting.

Singles 2...I think I continued to read it because I was curious about Niou, even though it turned to Tezuka/Fuji/Seigaku fan service, I sort of just skimmed that bit. Then because Niou turned into Shiraishi…although I now really really wish that he did not.

Now, I am now waiting for the latest genius due to really wanting to know about what will happen in the Yukimura/ Echizen match, and I realise that I do want Yukimura to win, and to an extent I actually quite like him now.

So this is what I now feel but since I have watched very few of the animation I think I am unbiased because when I made my judgement on Nakai Sachiko’s yukimura, I didn’t particular care about Yukimura. I know he is the buchou who got sick, and his team respect him quite a bit, but that was sort of all. The impact of how bad his disease was didn’t seem to have hit me until quite late because I didn’t read it carefully.

I first properly heard Nakai Sachiko’s Yukimura in one of the tenipure family episode, probably not a very good example, the next time I heard her (the seiyuu) is when Rikkai come out in the OVA, episode 4 of the second OVA, When Yukimura said: “this seems interesting, don’t you think so, Sanada?” My instinct thought was: “Can we please switch back to Shitenhouji?” as a) I am a big Shitenhouji fan, which I have made very clear, b) Yukimura sounds really scary (this is the main reason.) I don’t know how to explain this but Yukimura just sounded really scary at that point.

During one weekend my sister was checking something and she ended up watching Yukimura’s famous speech- when he told Sanada about how tennis is everything, and I actually find that bit really touching, although I was already biased by that stage by wanting him to win instead of Echizen.

But what I am trying to say is this: I think Nagai Sachiko did a great job as Yukimura. I think she made him sound the way I think he would sound like. And I think Yukimura would need to be done by a female because of his really feminine and delicate appearance, and I believe Nagai Sachiko’s really low voice really suit Yukimura.

The reason I am having this entry is because Nagai Sachiko seems to be the most criticised seiyuu in prince of tennis and maybe in any other anime that I have seen. I really don’t understand why she gets so much criticism, and what people say about her is just so…shocking… I heard this from my sister who visits general forums more, unlike me- cause I just tend to visit Shiraishi and Shitenhouji communities. I think general forums actually give a much better ‘statistics’. Eg. You might really really dislike the seiyuu because he or she didn’t fit in with the already idealised image you have in your head, as you really really like that character. Or you can just be prepared to like the seiyuu’s portrayal no matter what because you love that character. I think for me, I did a mixture. I always think that Shiraishi should have a highish voice and as long as they give me that then I am prepared to say the seiyuu did a great job. Since Hosoya-san’s voice is at the higher range, I really like his Shiraishi and think he did a great job. But even if the seiyuu for Shiraishi has a lower voice I don’t think I would hate the seiyuu, although I’ll probably have a mumble every time I hear him. A bit like Hikitsu from Genbu Kaiden. I don’t like Hiyama Nobuyuki’s Hikitsu but I don’t press mute whenever he comes out.

But there have been people who really really hoped that Yukimura will be replaced by someone else in the OVA, and there are also people who say that they seriously can’t stand watching the bit when Yukimuar come out due to the seiyuu and some people even deliberately press mute. This just seems too harsh. I have seen various criticisms about Shitenhouji’s cast and I don’t know if they can represent the general trend but they seem to be examples of normal criticisms. For example, some people think Hosoya-san exaggerates Shiraishi’s accent and it probably is true, but then which kansai character doesn’t get his accent exaggerated? Likewise, people think Sugimoto Yuu and Yusa Koji are not loud enough as Kintarou/Watanabe. But all these are just passing comments. None of these people mentions anything about deliberately press mute, they still watch it.

Personally I think Kenya should have a higher voice but that does not prevent me from enjoying the OVA (to tell the truth I seem to have got quite used to it now.)

What I don’t get is this- some of these people do not seem to be die hard Yukimura fans, so why are they so touchy about this? Apparently there is a story about how Yukimura might have been voiced by someone else but will that make you want to mute the TV whenever Yukimura comes out just because you think he should have been done by someone else? I mean…isn’t this a bit too extreme?

Okay, to be honest I don’t know what I am trying to say. I understand that everyone has different opinions but I just feel that the criticisms on Nagai-san is too harsh, almost malicious. (And I don’t even really like Yukimura or the seiyuu that much) I just think it is too unfair. I think she did a great job and I think she sings really nicely too. I really love Yukimura’s best of rival players- and this is completely unbiased, I listened to this song when I disliked rikkai and didn’t really care about Yukimrua other then just hoping he would recover, because that is basic humanity. I admit, I don’t like the song ‘Way to go’, which Yukimura sang with Sanda, but I think it is just the song, I probably wouldn’t have liked it unless a charater/seiyuu I really love sang it. (personally, I just really can’t see Sanada talking in English…don’t ask me why…)

After more then a thousand words…I still don’t really know what I am trying to say. Orz…I guess I am just sharing out my own opinion on what I feel about Nagai-san’s Yukimrua, and that I think she does not deserve all these criticism. I am also very curious about what everyone else thinks.